Stone gatherer

ABSTRACT

A mobile freame including a generally frusto-conical ground wheel journalled for rotation about a generally horizontal but inclined transverse axis with the lower periphery of the wheel in surface-to-surface contact with the ground and the minor and major diameter ends of the wheel open and closed, respectively Stone deflecting structure is positioned outwardly of the open minor diameter side of the wheel for deflecting windrowed stones into the lower periphery of the open side of the wheel and the interior of the wheel includes generally radially extending paddles supprted from the closed end of the wheel and provided for elevating stones collected in the lower peripheral portion of the wheel in response to rolling movement of the wheel over the ground. Also, a stone retaining shield is provided to prevent discharge of the stones from the open side of the wheel until they have been elevated to a presetermined level and gathered stone receiving structure is supported at the aforementioned level for receiving the stones discharged outwardly of the open side of the wheel by the paddles.

United States Patent n91 Hehr [ 1 March 6, 1973 STONE GATHERER [76]Inventor: Herbert Hehr, Route 1, Fredonia,

N. Dak. 58440 [22] Filed: Oct. 18, 1971 [21] Appl.No.: 189,960

[52] U.S.CI. ..I7l/65, l71/l9, 171/115 [51] Int. Cl. ..A0lb 43/00 [58]Field of Search ..17l/63, 64, 65, 67, 19, 115, 171/92 [56] ReferencesCited UNITED STATES PATENTS 391,059 10/1888 McLaren ..l71/1l5 2,755,6127/1956 Johnson ..171/65 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 518,256 3/1953Belgium ..17l/l15 Primary Examiner-Antonio F. Guida Altomey'-I-Iarvey B.Jacobson [5 7] ABSTRACT A mobile freame including a generallyfrusto-conical ground wheel joumalled for rotation about a generallyhorizontal but inclined transverse axis with the lower periphery of thewheel in surfacelto-surface contact with the ground and the minor andmajor diameter ends of the wheel open and closed, respectively Stonedeflecting structure is positioned outwardly of the open minor diameterside of the wheel for deflecting windrowed stones into the lowerperiphery of the open side of the wheel and the interior of the wheelincludes generally radially extending paddles supprted from the closedend of the wheel and provided for elevating stones collected in thelower peripheral portion of the wheel in response to rolling movement ofthe wheel over the ground. Also, a stone retaining shield is provided toprevent discharge of the stones from the open side of the wheel untilthey have been elevated to a presetermined level and gathered stonereceiving structure is supported at the aforementioned level forreceiving the stones discharged outwardly of the open side of the wheelby the paddles.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEB "AR 61973 SHEET 10F 3 PATENHE 6 73SHEET 30F 3 STONE GATHERER The stone gatherer of the instant inventionhas been specifically designed to provide a means whereby windrowedstones may be readily picked from the ground. Although the gatherer ofthe instant invention may be readily incorporated into a stonewindrowing machine, in order to simplify the invention, it isspecifically illustrated and described hereinafter merely as a stonepickup machine for gathering previously windrowed stones.

The main object of this invention is to provide a stone gatheringmachine of simple construction and efficient in picking up windrowedstones whereby stones may be picked up from cultivated land at areasonable cost per acre thereby rendering the stone gatherereconomically feasible to even smaller farmers.

Another object of this invention is to provide a stone gatherer inaccordance with the immediately preceding objects and including only twodriven components that may be readily driven from a tractor behind whichthe stone gatherer is being drawn.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a stonegatherer that may be readily transported from one location to another.

A final object of the invention to be specifically enumerated herein isto provide a stone gatherer in accordance with the preceding objectswhich will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simpleconstruction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will beeconomically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free inoperation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout and in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the stone gatherer being towed behind aconventional farm tractor and with the discharge end of the endlessconveyor component of the stone gatherer operatively associated with aload bin of a mobile vehicle into which the gathered stones may bedischarged;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the stone gatherer;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the assemblage illustrated in FIG.2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse vertical sectional viewtaken substantially upon a plane indicated by the section line 4-4 ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially uponthe plane indicated by the section line 5--5 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional view illustratingthe manner in which one of the stone elevating and deflecting paddles ofthe truncated wheel of the stone gatherer is mounted for pivotalmovement relative to the truncated cone-shaped wheel.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10generally designates a farm tractor which is illustrated in FIG. 1 as astraddling and moving along a windrow 12 of stones to be gathered.

The stone gatherer of the instant invention is schematically illustratedin FIG. 1 as being towed behind the tractor 10 and is generally referredto by the reference numeral 14. In addition, a mobile load body referredto in general by the reference numeral 16 is being moved along behindthe endless conveyor assembly 18 of the stone gatherer 14 for receivinggathered stones discharged from the discharging end of the endlessconveyor 18.

From FIGS. 2 4 of the drawings, it may be seen that the stone gatherer14 includes a main frame referred to in general by the reference numeral20 having a tow hitch plate 23 at its forward end.

An inwardly downwardly inclined journal sleeve 22 is supported from theleft hand side of the main frame 20 in an inconvenient manner such asthat illustrated in FIG. 4 and the journal sleeve 22 rotatably journalsa stub shaft 24 from whose lower end 27 a stone gathering wheel referredto in general by the reference numeral 26 is supported.

The shaft 24 has a mounting plate 28 supported from its lower end andthe stone gathering wheel 26 includes a generally truncated cone-shapedhollow peripheral member 30 closed at its major diameter end by means ofan end wall 32, the latter being secured to the mounting plate 28 bymeans of suitable fasteners 34. Accordingly, it may be seen that themajor diameter end of the stone gathering wheel 26 is closed by means ofthe end wall 32 and that the minor diameter end of the stone gatheringwheel 26 is open. Further, the hollow truncated cone-shaped outerperiphery or peripheral member 30 of the wheel 26 is provided withtransversely extending and slightly angulated circumferentially spacedslots 38 for purpose to be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The inner surface of the end wall 32 has a plurality of stone elevatingplates 40 pivotally secured thereto as at 42 and each of the plates 40is spring urged by means of a butterfly spring 44 toward the solid lineposition illustrated in FIG. 6 away from the retracted phantom lineposition thereof illustrated in FIG. 6.

The right hand side of the main frame 20 of the gatherer 14 includes aground engaging support wheel 42 journalled on a crank pin portion 44 ofa crank shaft 46 oscillatably supported from the frame 20. The shaft 46includes a crank arm 48 and the frame 20 has a toothed sector plate 50supported therefrom. An operating lever 52 is pivotally supported fromthe plate 50 as at 54-and the lever 52 includes a laterally outwardlyprojecting arm 56 which is pivotally secured as at 58 to the free end ofthe lever 48. It may further be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawingsthat the free end of the lever 52 includes an operating handle 60 andthat a dog element 62 is slidably supported from the lever 52 and springbiased to a position with the dog 62 received between a pair of adjacentteeth of the sector plate 50. However, an operating handle 64 isoscillatably supported from the free end of the lever 52 and isoperatively connected to the dog 62 by means of a connecting link 66whereby the element 62 may be withdrawn from engagement with the teethof the sector plate 50 at any time the operator of the stone gatherer l4squeezes the lever or control 64 toward the handle 60. After the dog 62has been disengaged from the teeth of the sector plate 50, the operatinglever 52 may be readily swung between its limits of oscillation in orderto adjust the inclination of the stone gathering wheel 26 as desired.

A drive shaft 68 is journaled from the forward portion of the main frame20 and the forward end of the drive shaft 68 is adapted to be drivenfrom the power take off shaft of the tractor 10.

The rear end of the drive shaft 68 is coupled to the input shaft 70 of agear reduction assembly 72 having an output shaft 76 drivingly connectedto a shaft 80 journaled from the rear lower portion of the frame 20 bymeans of an endless flexible chain 82 trained over pulley wheels 84 and86 carried by the shafts 76 and 80. However, the gear or sprocket wheel86 is drivingly coupled to the shaft 80 by means of a releasable clutchassembly 90.

The shaft 80 is journaled from the main frame 20 by means of dependingsupport bracket means 96 and it may be noted from FIGS. 1 and 2 of thedrawings that the shaft 80 is inclined forwardly away from the open sideof the lower periphery of the wheel 26.

A fluted roller 94 is amounted on the shaft 80 for rotation therewithand it is of course to be understood that forward movement of thetractor 10 in order to tow the stone gatherer 14 there behind willresult in the roller 94 being rotated in a counterclockwise direction asviewed in FIGS. 3 and 5 of the drawings. Accordingly, with the flutedroller 94 aligned with the windrow of stones 12, forward movement of thetractor to move the stone gatherer 14 along the windrow 12 will resultin the fluted roller 94 engaging and deflecting the windrowed stonesinto the lower periphery portion of the open minor diameter end of thewheel 26. Of course, some dirt will also be deflected into the lowerperiphery of the wheel 26, but the slots 38 formed in the peripherymember 30 of the wheel 26 will allow smaller particles of dirt to fallfrom the wheel.

A shield plate 100 is supported from the frame immediately adjacent andslightly rearward of the last marginal portion of the wheel 26 with theplate 100 positioned to keep any gathered stones within the wheel 26from being discharged outwardly of the minor diameter end of the wheel26 until such time as the stones are elevated to the level of theupwardly opening notch or window 102 formed in the plate 100.

The stone elevating paddles 40 engage the stones collected within thelower periphery of the wheel 26 and elevate those stones to the level ofthe window 102 each time one of the paddles 40 swings from the lowerperiphery portion of the wheel 26 up to the level of the window 28. Ofcourse, the paddles 40 then urge the gathered stones outwardly of thewindow 102 for falling onto the inlet end 104 of an endless flexibleconveyor assembly 106 supported from the rear of the frame 20 in anyconvenient manner. The endless conveyor assembly 106 includes ahydraulically actuated drive motor 108 and it is to be noted that thedrive motor 108 may be readily powered by an operatively connectinghydraulic flow lines between the motor 108 and the hydraulic system (notshown) of the tractor 10.

The endless conveyor assembly 106 may be of any desired type. Theconveyor assembly 106 extends generally longitudinally of the stonegatherer l4 and its rear end is inclined upwardly so that the load bed16 may be positioned under the elevated discharge end of the conveyorassembly 106.

The flutes on the roller 94 are designated by the reference numeral I10and extend longitudinally thereof on the end thereof remote from thewheel 26.

However, on the end of the roller 94 adjacent the wheel 26, the flutes94 are spiralled about the roller 94. ln this manner, there is greaterassurance that all of the stones within the windrow 12 will be deflectedinto the stone gathering wheel 26.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A stone gatherer including a main frame, a hollow generally truncatedcone-shaped wheel journalled from said frame for rolling along theground surface over which said frame is advanced, the major and minordiameter axial ends of said wheel being closed and open, respectively,means supported from said frame for engagement with and 'lateriallydeflecting windrowed stones along which said frame is advanced into saidopen minor diameter end of said wheel, the axis of rotation of saidwheel lying in a substantially vertical plane normal to the direction ofintended movement of said frame and said axis being inclined relative tothe horizontal an amount substantially equal to the angle ofdisplacement of the slant height of the wheel relative to the wheelcenter axis with the lowermost slant height of the wheel horizontallydisposed, an upstanding shield plate supported from said frame andextending across and closing the rear lower quadrant portion of the openminor diameter end of said wheel, the interior of said wheel includingcircumferentially spaced lift panels generally paralleling and adjacentradial planes of said wheel, the outer periphery of said wheel beingclosed by a generally frustoconical pheripheral member having aplurality of dirt and small pebble slots formed therein generallyparalleling but slightly inclined relative to diametric planes of saidwheel with the slots inclined slightly relative to said diametric planesin a manner such that the ends of the slots in the lower peripheralportion of the wheel forwardmost relative to the direction of theintended movement of the frame are adjacent the minor diameter endportion of the wheel.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said lift panels are pivotallysupported from the closed end of said wheel for oscillation aboutgenerally radial axies and are spring biased toward a position generallynormal to radii of said wheel normal to said radial planes.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein'the stone deflecting meanscomprises apowered rotary ground level roller inclined forwardly andoutwardly from the rear portion of the ground contact area of the lowerperiphery of the wheel with the roller extending outward of the openside of the wheel, and motor means supported from said frame and drivemeans drivingly connected to said roller for rotating the latter in adirection to advance the lower periphery thereof in the direction ofadvancement of said stone gatherer.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said roller includeslongitudinally extending and radially outwardly projecting flutes.

1. A stone gatherer including a main frame, a hollow generally truncatedcone-shaped wheel journalled from said frame for rolling along theground surface over which said frame is advanced, the major and minordiameter axial ends of said wheel being closed and open, respectively,means supported from said frame for engagement with and lateriallydeflecting windrowed stones along which said frame is advanced into saidopen minor diameter end of said wheel, the axis of rotation of saidwheel lying in a substantially vertical plane normal to the direction ofintended movement of said frame and said axis being inclined relative tothe horizontal an amount substantially equal to the angle ofdisplacement of the slant height of the wheel relative to the wheelcenter axis with the lowermost slant height of the wheel horizontallydisposed, an upstanding shield plate supported from said frame andextending across and closing the rear lower quadrant portion of the openminor diameter end of said wheel, the interior of said wheel includingcircumferentially spaced lift panels generally paralleling and adjacentradial planes of said wheel, the outer periphery of said wheel beingclosed by a generally frustoconical pheripheral member having aplurality of dirt and small pebble slots formed therein generallyparalleling but slightly inclined relative to diametric planes of saidwheel with the slots inclined slightly relative to said diametric planesin a manner such that the ends of the slots in the lower peripheralportion of the wheel forwardmost relative to the direction of theintended movement of the frame are adjacent the minor diameter endportion of the wheel.
 1. A stone gatherer including a main frame, ahollow generally truncated cone-shaped wheel journalled from said framefor rolling along the ground surface over which said frame is advanced,the major and minor diameter axial ends of said wheel being closed andopen, respectively, means supported from said frame for engagement withand laterially deflecting windrowed stones along which said frame isadvanced into said open minor diameter end of said wheel, the axis ofrotation of said wheel lying in a substantially vertical plane normal tothe direction of intended movement of said frame and said axis beinginclined relative to the horizontal an amount substantially equal to theangle of displacement of the slant height of the wheel relative to thewheel center axis with the lowermost slant height of the wheelhorizontally disposed, an upstanding shield plate supported from saidframe and extending across and closing the rear lower quadrant portionof the open minor diameter end of said wheel, the interior of said wheelincluding circumferentially spaced lift panels generally paralleling andadjacent radial planes of said wheel, the outer periphery of said wheelbeing closed by a generally frustoconical pheripheral member having aplurality of dirt and small pebble slots formed therein generallyparalleling but slightly inclined relative to diametric planes of saidwheel with the slots inclined slightly relative to said diametric planesin a manner such that the ends of the slots in the lower peripheralportion of the wheel forwardmost relative to the direction of theintended movement of the frame are adjacent the minor diameter endportion of the wheel.
 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said liftpanels are pivotally supported from the closed end of said wheel foroscillation about generally radial axies and are spring biased toward aposition generally normal to radii of said wheel normal to said radialplanes.
 3. The combination of claim 1 wherein the stone deflecting meanscomprises a powered rotary ground level roller inclined forwardly andoutwardly from the rear portion of the ground contact area of the lowerperiphery of the wheel with the roller extending outward of the openside of the wheel, and motor means supported from said frame and drivemeans drivingly connected to said roller for rotating the latter in adirection to advance the lower periphery thereof in the direction ofadvancement of said stone gatherer.